Originally Posted by
Micro
Now that it's official the BC is leaving (please don't let the door hit you in the As$ on the way out), hopefully we can find a new chairman with some balls who really WILL be able to direct negotiations that will improve the "pillars" of our contract vice coming out months later and admitting he couldn't improve our work rules. I've talked to a couple of guys itching to beat heads with the company.....hopefully they meet the "protocol" and have their resumes up to the MEC's liking.
I also think it's time our union starts using our dues (in our "best interest") by hiring PROFESSIONAL negotiators to sit at the table for us. If we want pilots in the background (ie chairman for direction), that's great. But it's time for the union and us to admit that we're PILOTS not NEGOTIATORS.
Call your block reps and have this discussion. I think it's time we explore and use this option. You can bet your as$ the company does. Anyone else agree???
WE already have professional negotiators. We have lawyers and other experts from Herdon who are always there to assist.
We have RLA Attornies.
We have Erisa Attornies.
We have Insurance attornies and actuaries
We have EF& A experts (ecomiics, finance and analaysis)
We have Work rule experts
It is all how we decide to use them.
History has proven that each specific airline MEC prefers the control of having one of their own as Head of the team.
Besides, it is the Seniority holding members of the class and craft that potentially have to risk laying their pork on the platter. I would prefer the head guy to share the same risk as the rest of us, wouldn't you?
Besides, it is akward and cumbersome to have a guy sitting at the table who doesn't possess the authority to make the deal, a guy who will always have excuse himself and adjourn to another Hotel room down the hall to ask the Pilot expert.....is this GOOD or BAD?
That has always been our complaint with the FedEx Company negotiatiors.
Our guy at the table needs to have the authority right then and there to say we have a deal. A hired professional negotiator wouldn't have that clout, at least I wouldn't want him: a non seniority list pilot holding that clout....would you?
My 2 cents.